1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic document feeder for an image forming apparatus such as an electrophotographic copying machine and a laser printer, and more particularly, to an automatic document feeder comprising a guide member for deflecting an orignal document being conveyed by conveying means.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In recent years, there have been many image forming apparatus, such as electrophotographic copying machines, each equipped with an automatic document feeder by which an original document is handled automatically.
The operation of said automatic document feeder is explained as follows, exemplifying the electrophotographic copying machine. The automatic document feeder comprises conveying means such as a conveying belt and a feed roller. The conveying means automatically feeds the original document to a transparent plate disposed at an upper part of the body of the copying machine. The original document placed on the transparent plate is exposed to light. After the exposure, the original document is automatically conveyed out of and discharged from the transparent plate by the conveying means. At this time, the original document conveyed by the conveying means is deflected by a guide member in the discharging direction.
Conventionally, the guide member is formed of a flexible thin piece such as a synthetic resin film, and normally, formed of a rectangular film of a predetermined size cut out in a rolled synthetic resin film. When the guide member formed of this rectangular film is used, one end of the guide member is fixed to a support member such as an iron plate and the other free end is elastically in contact with a predetermined portion. It is noted that the predetermined portion is a concave portion formed on the transparent plate, an upper surface of a receiving member disposed on a downstream side of the transparent plate in the conveying direction, or so like.
However, if the free end of the guide member is formed straight, the free end waves in a width direction and is sectionally detached from said predetermined portion. Accordingly, a space occurs between the free end of the guide member and said predetermined portion and consequently, sometimes a front edge of the original document passing in the discharging direction is caught in said space which causes a paper jam. This problem occurs similarly even if the free end of the guide member is forcibly in contact with said predetermined portion.